Jim Cope

James Francis Cope CMG (26 November 1907 – 3 February 1999) was an Australian politician. He was a member of the Australian Labor Party (ALP) and served in the House of Representatives from 1955 to 1975. He was Speaker of the House of Representatives from 1973 to 1975, resigning abruptly in dramatic circumstances when he came into conflict with Prime Minister Gough Whitlam.

The Honourable Jim Cope CMG
Cope in 1970
Speaker of the Australian House of Representatives
In office 27 February 1973 – 27 February 1975
Preceded by	Sir William Aston
Succeeded by	Gordon Scholes
Member of the Australian Parliament for Cook
In office 21 May 1955 – 10 December 1955
Preceded by	Tom Sheehan
Succeeded by	Seat abolished
Member of the Australian Parliament for Watson
In office 10 December 1955 – 25 October 1969
Preceded by	Dan Curtin
Succeeded by	Seat abolished
Member of the Australian Parliament for Sydney
In office 25 October 1969 – 11 November 1975
Preceded by	New seat
Succeeded by	Les McMahon
Personal details
Born	26 November 1907 Sydney
Died	3 February 1999 (aged 91)
Nationality	Australian
Political party	Australian Labor Party
Occupation	Glassworker

Early life

Born in Sydney in 1907,[1] Jim Cope attended public schools and became a glassworker. He rose to Federal Treasurer of the Australian Glassworkers' Union, and was also a member of Redfern Council.

Politics

In 1955 he was elected to the Australian House of Representatives in a by-election for the seat of Cook, representing the Australian Labor Party. Cook was abolished in the federal election of that year and Cope contested Watson instead, winning the seat. He held Watson until its abolition in 1969, when he transferred to the new seat of Sydney, which he held until 1975.

Speakership

On 27 February 1973, Cope was appointed the first Labor Speaker of the House since 1950. On 27 February 1975, the second anniversary of his election as speaker, he resigned after the Whitlam government refused to support him when he named Clyde Cameron, a government minister. Cope retired from parliament at the double dissolution election of 11 November 1975.

Later life

In the New Year's Honours of 1978, he was appointed a Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG), for his services to the parliament.[2]

Cope died in 1999.[3]

References

1. National Library of Australia, Transcript of Oral History Interview with James Cope. Retrieved 15 October 2013
2. It's an Honour
3. Carr, Adam (2008). "Australian Election Archive". Psephos, Adam Carr's Election Archive. Archived from the original on 20 July 2007. Retrieved 25 May 2008.